Mistletoe Kisses
by SereneCalamity
Summary: Eddie's a little bit nervous when he realizes that Richie is at a Christmas party he goes to with Beverly. Reddie. Oneshot.


**I'm still absolutely in love with this couple, even though the fandom is definitely dying out. Here's a cute little oneshot about these boys.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the characters.**

"This is ridiculous," Eddie Kaspbrak muttered, wiping his slightly sweaty palms on the jeans he was wearing. "I don't want to be here."

"You need to loosen up a little," Beverly Marsh told him confidently, looping an arm through his and giving it a squeeze. She was looking pretty and festive, with her little snowmen earrings dangling down and a bright red scarf around her neck and Christmas coloured streamers twisted in her hair. Eddie really wasn't the biggest fan of the holidays, so he was just in a pair of jeans, well-polished shoes, a pressed pink shirt that he had tucked into his jeans with a grey cardigan that was thick, to kept him in warm against the cold, but was also stylish.

"Well, I'm not going to loosen up here," Eddie scrunched up his nose as he looked around the flat they were in. It was packed with people, so full that there was barely room to breathe, and most of them drunk. In fact, about ninety-five percent of them were drunk. And while Eddie didn't mind people drinking, he himself wasn't really a drinker, and he definitely didn't like being around people he didn't _know_ drinking.

"I think that maybe you're wrong," Beverly said with a grin, nodding past Eddie. There had been a time in the not so distance past when she would have nodded over his head, but in the past year, Eddie had had a growth spurt and he was now an inch or so taller than Beverly. He still wasn't tall, and he never would be, but he was pretty proud of his five seven build, five eight when he swished his hair up and kept it there with some gel.

"Wha—" he was cut off as he turned around and looked in the direction that Beverly had indicated in. Eddie swallowed hard, his pink lips—a little pinker with the gloss that he had swiped on—as he saw Richie Tozier standing next to Bill Denbrough. Bill and Beverly had dated on and off in the first six months of their first year of University. They had decided to call it quits and she was now with Ben Hanscomb, but she had stayed friends with Bill, and through Bill, two of his best friends, Stanley Uris and Richie.

Richie had been flirting up a storm with Eddie ever since.

And maybe Eddie had recently admitted to Beverly that he felt something for Richie, but was buried in his architecture degree and he expected absolute perfection of himself and refused to let himself get distracted. Beverly felt like Eddie studied and worked too hard and needed to take a break, and it had only been because of a combination of her insistent nagging and the fact that school had just broken up for the Christmas and New Years break that he had agreed to come tonight.

"Eddie!" Richie cried out as he spotted Eddie. Beverly laughed and began walking over to where they were standing. Eddie hated being left alone at things like this and so he had no choice but to quickly follow after her. Beverly hugged Stan and Bill and then bumped fists and had some weird handshake with Richie.

"Hey, Eddie," Stan smiled at him and didn't go in for a hug, which Eddie appreciated. He wasn't a big fan of hugging people he didn't no well, and Stan always respected that.

"Edster!" Richie threw an arm around Eddie and tucked him into his side. Eddie screwed up his nose and attempted to push Richie, but Richie just pulled him in tighter. "C'mon, Eds! Let's go and get you a drink aye?! Help ya chill out a bit!" His voice was loud over the music and the talking and laughing in the room. He was wearing an absolutely hideous Christmas jumper, red and green with reindeer all over the front of it.

"Why does everyone think I need loosening up?" Eddie muttered under his breath, but apparently still loud enough for Richie to hear.

"Ooh, I could loosen you up a bit," Richie jeered, jostling him a little and Eddie rolled his eyes, looking up at Beverly as if to say 'save me'. Beverly just grinned at him and then looked over to where Ben had just arrived with Mike Hanlon. Eddie sighed and the next thing he knew, he was being dragged away by Richie. The kitchen was just as crowded and disgusting as the rest of the flat, and the people in there were all greeting Richie, because of course the curly haired man seemed to know everyone. Surprisingly, though, Richie kept all his interactions short and then when he got to the other side of the kitchen, he sort of ushered Eddie into the corner, between the fridge and the door that lead outside, so that he was protected from the rest of the people.

It was nice of him, even if it was probably unintentional.

"What did you want to drink, Edsie Bear?" Richie asked and Eddie rolled his eyes at the name.

"You know I don't like those nicknames," Eddie muttered.

"It's not a nickname!" Richie shook his head as he pulled a bottle of vodka out of the fridge and held it up to Eddie. The shorter boy shook his head at the alcohol. "It's a term of endearment, Edsikins!"

"Right," Eddie shook his head as Richie held up a bottle of beer. He looked around the kitchen, taking in the people around him. He shifted his feet on the floor and made a face as they stuck slightly to the lino, and tried not to think about all the disgusting fluids that were on the ground and making it sticky. "Endearment. So does that mean you 'endear me', Richie?" It was said sarcastically as he looked at a pair of girls who were kissing messily in the corner of the, who were completely oblivious to a group of guys in the doorway who were watching them as though it was a show for them. When no sarcastic remark came from Richie, Eddie flicked his eyes to the taller man, who was staring into the open fridge, his mouth twisted shut and the tips of his ears looking pink.

"And what if I did?" Richie shrugged a shoulder and his eyes began skimming the shelves, over and over again, clearly not taking in the contents but just wanting to keep his eyes busy. The way he said it...It sounded odd. Not like how Richie usually spoke, all confident and loud. There was something off about his voice...Kind of nervous? Timid? Maybe worried?

And that made Eddie feel weird.

Like, he _knew_ that he had a thing for Richie, even though he was annoying and loud and in your face and constantly called him names that he hated. But hearing him sound a little tentative and then look nervous...That made his stomach twist over and his heart beat even faster and it was so _frustrating_ it just made him like him more.

"Then...I guess that wouldn't be so bad," Eddie admitted, looking down at his hands. He fiddled with his clean, perfectly cut fingernails as a distraction, but he could feel Richie's gaze heavy on him. When he looked up, Richie's eyes were huge behind his coke-bottle glasses.

"Yeah?" His voice came out a little breathless. Eddie pursed his lips together, taking in a deep breath, his eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks as he dipped his head in a quick nod.

"Yeah," he responded. Richie was still for a moment, before he closed the fridge and advanced on Eddie. Eddie stared up at the taller man, who's unruly, curly hair was flopping forward over his forehead and framing his face, and it was weird the way the noise in the whole flat seemed to fade out as Richie got closer. Eddie instinctively took a step back, so that his back was up against the door.

"Up," Richie said, although Eddie didn't so much hear the words, as make out the shape that they formed on Richie's lips as they moved. Eddie blinked and then tilted his head backwards, looking up toward the ceiling. There wasn't anything on the ceiling and then he rolled his eyes backwards a little bit and he found what Richie had been looking at.

A tacky piece of plastic mistletoe, fastened with a piece of red ribbon to the empty curtain rail above the doorway.

Eddie started lowering his face, so that his eyes would meet Richie's, but as his chin was tipping back forward, Richie leaned in and pressed his lips to Eddie's. He missed half of Eddie's mouth and more got his chin, and when they pulled back, Eddie wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. Richie made a face and ran his hand through his curly hair.

"I promise I'm usually better at that," he said with an awkward smile.

"I would hope so," Eddie replied, but the way he was looking at Richie from underneath his eyelashes and a small smile on his soft mouth took any sting out of the words. Richie smiled back at him and chewed down on his lower lip. Eddie suddenly became aware of all the people around them and the noise and he took in a deep breath, feeling a little awkward.

"So," Richie shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't actually go home for Christmas, but when you get back, did you maybe want to meet up?"

"I don't go home for Christmas either," Eddie quickly said before he could stop himself, sounding maybe a little bit too eager. But Richie's eyes just widened.

"Oh yeah? Complicated home life?" He asked, but it wasn't in a gossipy way. More like...In a way that said he understood.

"Yeah...You?" Eddie returned and Richie nodded a few times. They didn't say anything for a few beats.

"So...Did you maybe want to do something Christmas Eve then? If you don't already have plans..." Richie asked, sounding a little hesitant.

"Yeah," Eddie nodded, and then blinked and rushed on to clarify. "Yeah, as in, I want to hang out, not yeah as in I have plans." Richie's grin almost split his face in half and Eddie couldn't help but smile back.

"It's a date," Richie announced and Eddie felt his cheeks redden, but he nodded in agreement.

 **Let me know what you think x**


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